Collective
Detective
Celebrating the wonderful, endangered words we use to describe groups of animals and birds — keeping language alive, one collective noun at a time.
Why buy a Collective Detective book?
Since the dawn of mankind, humans have invented a huge range of words to describe groups of things that they come across in their environment. Trees for example: forest, copse, spinney, wood, thicket, grove, orchard, plantation, clump to name a few that you will know.
When it comes to animals however, these names are far less commonly used. Shakespeare, perhaps our greatest wordsmith knew, and enjoyed a considerable vocabulary;
Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim,
Hound or spaniel, brach, or ⌜lym,⌝
Bobtail ⟨tike,⟩ or ⟨trundle-tail,⟩
KING LEAR Act 3 Sc 6
Many collective terms for animals and birds are in danger of becoming as extinct as the creatures themselves.
The Collective Detective series celebrates just some of the wonderful words we have at our disposal. Have fun learning what they are, and help us to keep them alive for the next generation.
The Collective Detective Vol 1
(Coming Soon)
Animals, birds and all types of creatures can have surprising names when they get together in a group.
Some beautiful, some scary and some just funny.
Subscribe to our newsletter to find out when The Collective Detective is ready to purchase.
It all started with a murder ...
(of crows)
Join our determined detective, Cassius as his journey takes him from inner city wastelands to desert watering holes, and from forests to freezing glaciers to discover what these names are.
Celine is our artist for this collection. Her modern twist on reality, and perhaps her Norwegian upbringing, is a breath of fresh air and her vibrant images bring the words to life.
Woodpeckers 1
— THE COLLECTIVE DETECTIVE
Woodpeckers 2
— THE COLLECTIVE DETECTIVE
Rats 1
— THE COLLECTIVE DETECTIVE
Rats 2
— THE COLLECTIVE DETECTIVE
Sharks 1
— THE COLLECTIVE DETECTIVE
Sharks 2
— THE COLLECTIVE DETECTIVE
Would You Believe?
That crickets when they get together form an orchestra, that iguanas get in a mess and that frogs form a knot?
to find out when new Collective Detective volumes
are available to purchase